Population growth rate in Tanzania
Tanzania: Population growth rate was 2.9% in 2023. ▬ Flat
Latest (2023)
2.9%
Change on year
down 1.3%
World rank
17th
of 236 countries
All-time high
3.9%
in 1994
All-time low
1.3%
in 1996
Years of data
74
1950–2023
Population growth rate in Tanzania, 1950–2023
Source: UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Tanzania recorded 2.9% for population growth rate in 2023.
That represents a change of down 1.3% on the previous year and down 6.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population growth rate in Tanzania peaked at 3.9% in 1994 and was at its lowest, 1.3%, in 1996.
That places Tanzania 17th out of 236 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top 10%.
Population growth rate in Tanzania, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 2.4% | — |
| 1951 | 2.5% | +2.0% |
| 1952 | 2.5% | +1.8% |
| 1953 | 2.5% | +1.2% |
| 1954 | 2.6% | +1.1% |
| 1955 | 2.6% | +1.6% |
| 1956 | 2.6% | +2.0% |
| 1957 | 2.7% | +2.2% |
| 1958 | 2.7% | +1.2% |
| 1959 | 2.8% | +1.0% |
| 1960 | 2.8% | +1.3% |
| 1961 | 2.9% | +3.3% |
| 1962 | 2.9% | +0.2% |
| 1963 | 3.0% | +1.7% |
| 1964 | 3.0% | +2.7% |
| 1965 | 3.0% | +0.1% |
| 1966 | 3.1% | +1.7% |
| 1967 | 3.1% | +0.8% |
| 1968 | 3.4% | +8.0% |
| 1969 | 3.4% | +1.5% |
| 1970 | 3.5% | +1.3% |
| 1971 | 3.5% | +1.6% |
| 1972 | 3.6% | +3.2% |
| 1973 | 3.6% | -1.3% |
| 1974 | 3.6% | +1.7% |
| 1975 | 3.6% | +0.0% |
| 1976 | 3.6% | -0.1% |
| 1977 | 3.6% | -0.9% |
| 1978 | 3.5% | -3.9% |
| 1979 | 3.3% | -5.4% |
| 1980 | 3.1% | -6.6% |
| 1981 | 3.0% | -0.3% |
| 1982 | 3.1% | +0.5% |
| 1983 | 3.5% | +14.3% |
| 1984 | 3.0% | -13.4% |
| 1985 | 3.5% | +15.0% |
| 1986 | 3.1% | -10.0% |
| 1987 | 3.4% | +7.8% |
| 1988 | 2.7% | -20.6% |
| 1989 | 2.6% | -1.6% |
| 1990 | 2.6% | -2.9% |
| 1991 | 2.5% | -2.5% |
| 1992 | 2.5% | -0.4% |
| 1993 | 3.8% | +51.0% |
| 1994 | 3.9% | +4.1% |
| 1995 | 2.4% | -38.8% |
| 1996 | 1.3% | -46.7% |
| 1997 | 2.8% | +115.3% |
| 1998 | 2.5% | -8.6% |
| 1999 | 2.8% | +12.7% |
| 2000 | 2.8% | +0.4% |
| 2001 | 2.6% | -10.1% |
| 2002 | 2.6% | +2.3% |
| 2003 | 2.7% | +2.1% |
| 2004 | 2.8% | +3.0% |
| 2005 | 2.8% | +1.6% |
| 2006 | 2.8% | +0.3% |
| 2007 | 2.8% | -0.9% |
| 2008 | 2.6% | -5.4% |
| 2009 | 2.3% | -12.2% |
| 2010 | 2.8% | +20.1% |
| 2011 | 2.8% | +1.8% |
| 2012 | 2.9% | +3.8% |
| 2013 | 3.1% | +5.5% |
| 2014 | 3.1% | -0.8% |
| 2015 | 3.5% | +12.5% |
| 2016 | 3.4% | -2.4% |
| 2017 | 3.3% | -1.5% |
| 2018 | 3.0% | -9.6% |
| 2019 | 3.0% | -1.2% |
| 2020 | 3.0% | +2.0% |
| 2021 | 3.0% | -1.4% |
| 2022 | 2.9% | -2.0% |
| 2023 | 2.9% | -1.3% |
Tanzania compared with similar countries
- Tanzania's 2.9% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 1.7%, 1.7× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Tanzania's 2.9% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 2.3%, 1.2× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Population growth rate in Tanzania changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | +115.3% | 1.3% | 2.8% |
| 1993 | +51.0% | 2.5% | 3.8% |
| 1996 | -46.7% | 2.4% | 1.3% |
| 1995 | -38.8% | 3.9% | 2.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 2.6% | 2.4% | 2.8% | 10 |
| 1960s | 3.1% | 2.8% | 3.4% | 10 |
| 1970s | 3.5% | 3.3% | 3.6% | 10 |
| 1980s | 3.1% | 2.6% | 3.5% | 10 |
| 1990s | 2.7% | 1.3% | 3.9% | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.7% | 2.3% | 2.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 3.1% | 2.8% | 3.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.0% | 2.9% | 3.0% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Tanzania
- 14 Mali 3.0% compare
- 15 Mauritania 3.0% compare
- 16 Mozambique 2.9% compare
- 18 Afghanistan 2.8% compare
- 18 Bonaire Sint Eustatius and Saba 2.8% compare
- 20 Zambia 2.8% compare
More population data for Tanzania
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate 0.8793 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate -1.36 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate 0.8793 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate 0.6843 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 129,932 Persons (2050)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 2.69 Percent per annum (2030)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate 0.089 % change on previous year (2100)
- World population growth 0.9% (2100)
- Population density 296.72 people per km² (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 20.58 million people (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population growth rate in Tanzania?
- Population growth rate in Tanzania was 2.9% in 2023, according to UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest population growth rate recorded in Tanzania?
- The highest recorded value was 3.9% in 1994.
- What is the lowest population growth rate recorded in Tanzania?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.3% in 1996.
- How does Tanzania rank for population growth rate?
- Tanzania ranks 17th out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is population growth rate rising or falling in Tanzania?
- Over the last ten years it is down 6.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Tanzania data come from?
- The figures come from UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Population growth rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 74 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Annual rate at which the population is growing, expressed as a percentage.